Spencer Petras was finally able to put down his phone, which buzzed with congratulations, and study for his Spanish final, the only task remaining between the Marin Catholic High senior-to-be and summer vacation.

Petras, who was offered a roster spot from the likes of Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Louisville, Nevada, San Jose State and Wyoming, narrowed his final list to four schools — Cal, Oregon State, San Diego State, Syracuse — before landing on the Beavers. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound signal caller visited Corvallis for the first time two weeks ago and was sold.

“I think Corvallis is an amazing place filled with amazing people, and I believe the coaching staff is one of the best in the country,” Petras said. “It’s a place I’d like to call home.”

Atop the Oregon State selling points for Petras was the football culture under coach Gary Andersen, who took over in 2014 after serving as head coach for Utah State and Wisconsin from 2009-14. The Beavers have improved in each of Anderson’s two seasons at the helm, finishing 4-8 overall and 3-6 in Pac-12 play in 2016.

Assuming Petras doesn’t beat out a pair of proven senior quarterbacks in the fall of 2018, he will redshirt his first year. Then he’ll be competing for the starting job, a role he hopes to man for four seasons.

“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Petras said. “But I’m happy I made it so I can focus on the upcoming season and enjoy life.”

Petras completed 172 of 305 passing attempts as a junior — his first season as a starter — racking up 3,036 yards through the air while tossing 33 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He added 310 yards and seven scores rushing, using the speed, footwork and elusiveness he’s added to his arsenal since joining the school’s track and field team as a freshman.

The Wildcats, who went undefeated again in MCAL play, lost to Bishop O’Dowd, the eventual state champions, in the North Coast Section Division III title game after upsetting top-seeded Analy in the semifinals last fall.

“I’ve never been more excited for anything in my life,” Petras said about his senior season with Marin Catholic. “We have a championship-caliber team, and if we can get all the pieces we’ll be right there.”

His final prep football season will also serve as sendoff of sorts. Petras will graduate from Marin Catholic and head north for Corvallis in January 2018, getting a headstart on college courses.

“I’m just super excited for Spencer,” Marin Catholic coach Mazi Moayed said. “The recruiting process can be grueling, especially for a quarterback. He really worked hard looking into every nook and cranny that he could to gain information and to help himself make the best decision that fits him, and that’s what he did.

“A combination of things make him great. His size is impressive, but his work ethic is awesome. He’s coachable and he’s got a strong leadership presence and really good authority about him. He can really push his teammates to the level you’re hoping he would, while at the same time being very respectful.”

Championship dreams

As a first-year player at Marin Catholic, Petras was locked in a quarterback battle with three other players on the freshman team. Coaches required all four learn and play a different position as well, so Petras found himself in the trenches at defensive end. He broke his throwing arm trying to make a tackle in his second game.

He was able to return for the final game of the season, in which he played sparingly. Petras went his entire freshman season without playing a snap at quarterback.

“He showed up to every practice in a cast and he helped his teammates out,” Moayed said. “We didn’t hear one complaint out of him. I think it made him hungrier for the next year.”

Petras returned as a sophomore and won the starting quarterback job on the junior varsity team. Moayed said Petras was ready to start on varsity as a sophomore, but a certain electric sheriff, Darius Peterson, already occupied the job. Petras is the latest in a lengthy list of college-bound Marin Catholic quarterbacks, a group that features the 2016 NFL draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Jared Goff.

Though he has yet to throw a pass in an Oregon State uniform, Petras’ goals for Corvallis and beyond are lofty.

“I want to have a successful career where I win a Pac-12 championship and hopefully get drafted to play in the NFL,” he said. “I want to play in the NFL.”